Grain-separator



No Model.) J. MENGE.

GRAIN SBPARATOR.

No. 481,366. Patennad Aug. 23, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MENGE, OF N EV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

GRAINSEPARATOR.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,366, dated August 23, 1892. Application filed April 8, 1892. Serial No. 428.390- (No model-l T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MENGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Separators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to devices for cleaning and separating grain; and it consists of the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters.

Figure 1 represents a section of the endless drag and its attachments along the line ocx of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a section along the line 'y 1/ of Fig. l, parts being omitted. Fig. 3 represents the feeding mechanism at one end of the endless drag, and Fig.4 represents a perspective view of one of the pads or flaps attached to the endless chain and used for dragging the grains along over the graded screens.

A represents any suitable foundation or support, which may be of framework, as shown, or of masonry or castings.

B B represent pairs of sprocket wheels keyed on the shafts B and B2, respectively. Into thesesprocket-wheels thesp rocket-chains C engage, and between these sprocket-chains are secured slats D, to which iiaps or pads E are secured. These iiaps may beinade of cotton, flax, or leather, or other suitable material of suitable Weight. I prefer to get the proper weight by using a facing of cotton, flax, or leather e and a pad of felt e', reinforcing the same and lending additional weight and stiffness; but any other weighting and stiffening material may be used in place of felt.

F represents a graduated screen having small holes f at one end and holes f2 f3, dac., gradually increasing in diameter toward the other end. Beneath the smallest holes f the trough h and receptacle la are placed. Beneath the next larger holes f2 the trough h2 and receptacle 702 are provided, and so on up to the holes f5, trough h5, and receptacle ks. The holes f5 are made of somewhat less diameter than the length of the full-sized grain, and beyond the portion of the screen containing these largest holes the chute h6 and receptacle k6 are placed. This screen F may be level, as shown, or inclined at an angle.

m are a number of rods or wires stretched across the framework A a few inches clear of the sprocket-chains, and these rods or wires serve to guide the pads or flaps and prevent them from falling down on the chute O after the loose end has gotten in a nearly vertical position.

N represents a hopper open at the bottom, into which the grain to be cleaned and separated is placed, and n is a gate for controlling the feed.

O represents a chute or trough, which may be straight or curved.

P represents a vibrating trough closing the bottom of the hopper N. This is suspended by rods p, and is vibrated by the rod t of the eccentric T on the driving-shaft Q.

S is a pulley also on said driving-shaft, and S is a pulley ou the shaft B', to which shaft motion is imparted by means of the belt R.

The operation of the device is as follows: Suppose it be desired, for instance, to separate the Whole grains of rice from the broken grains, indigo-seed,bran,'dust,and such other foreign matter as may be present. The endless chains being in motion in the direction of the arrows, the mixture to be cleaned and separated is placed in the hopper N and is fed down the chute O in proper quantity by adjusting the gate n. As the grain passes under the shaft B' the pads E spread it out in an even layer, and the friction between the bottom of the pads and the grain is sufficient to drag or roll the grain along over the graduated screen F. rlhe finer particles of dust, bran, duc., will fall through the fine holes f and he deposited in the receptacle 7c. 'Ihe larger holes f2 will allow larger particles to drop through, such as indigo-seed, bits of grain, dac. The holes f3, f4, and f5 will allow still larger particles to fall through, until finally only the whole grains will be rolled or dragged past the screen and fall into the receptacle k6. Should it be desired, the holes f4 and f5 may also be made large enough to pass whole grains through. It will be seen that IOO there can be no choking of the apparatus, as the iiap `will ride free of any obstruction and no crushing of the grains from vundue pressure, nor any fine adjustment required, as the ap lies on the layer of grain and presses it lightly on the screen, at the saine time drag-` ging it along. The rolling-motion of the grains not only keeps the whole mass Well stirred up, thus enabling the smaller parti' cles to fall outreadily, but also serves a use- `ful purpose in cleaning and polishing the grains.

While I have described my inveniien withv reference to its adaptability for separating whole grains of rice from the broken grains grains wllroll around or slide along their.

majorraxes, the pressure of the pads preventingthem-.from turning over endfor end, and the smallerfor less oblong `grains will drop through. Thus in separating grains of wheat, oats, and garlic mixed together the device will-separate the three and allow eachto fall into a separate receptacle.

It will be obvious that many modifications might be adopted whichcculd be used 4without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim, broadly, as new- 1..An apparatusforseparatingoblong grains from shorter grains or smaller particles of foreign matter, comprising a fixed screen having holes of less diameter than thelength ofthe oblong grains and moving flaps adapted to liefupon and drag the mixed grain over said screen, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus forseparatingoblonggrainsl from shorter grains or small particles of foreign matter, comprising a graded fixed screen having a number of small holes at one end and-a number of holes increasingin diameter toward the other end, with suitable receptacles under said holes, and `moving iiaps` adapted to lie upon said grain andto drag it along over said screen, substantially as'and for the purposes described.

3. Anapparatusforseparatingoblonggrains from shorter grains or small particles of foresice sprocket-wheels and means comprising a fixed sc reen having diameter than thelength of the and an endless drag of the with iiaps adapted to lie eigumatter, holeswofless oblong grains, character described,

upon the mixed grain and to drag it over saidv 5 5 screen, substantially4 as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with two pairs of for driving the same, of endless chains meshing in said sprocket-wheels, slats spanning said chains s and secured thereto, and pads attached at one end to said slats and free at the other, a screen beneath-said pads and adapted to be swept thereby, and means for feeding the grain onto said screen, substantially as described.

`5. In an apparatusof the character described, the combination, with two pairs of sprocket-wheels and meansfor drivingthe same, of endless Achains meshing in said sprocket-wheels, slats spanning said chains and secured thereto, and pads attached at one endito said slats and free at the other, a screen with holes less in diameter thanlthe length cfa whole grain beneath said-pads and adapted to `be swept thereby, and means for feeding the grain onto said screen, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character de- `scribed,the combination, W-ithtwo pairs of sprocket-wheels and means for driving rthe same, of endless chains lneshing in said sprocket-wheelaslats spanning said chains and secured thereto,and pads attached at one endtosaid slats and freeatthe other, a graduated screen having tine holes toward one end thereof Aand coarser holes toward the other end thereof, the said holes being all less in diameter `than the lengthof the Alongest; grains to be separated, the said screen being placed beneath the said pads and being swept by them, and means for feeding the grain onto said screen, substantially as described.

In testimony. whereof rI aiix` my signature4 in presence of two witnesses.

`JOSEPH MENGE.

Witnesses:

F. F. BRADWAY, JNO. J. WARD. 

